Vehicle inspections for owners' good: Police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A proposed requirement that police physically
\ninspect vehicles before issuing renewals of registration
\ndocuments has sparked a new controversy.<\/p>\n
Police deputy chief of operational affairs Maj. Gen. M.B.
\nHutagalung defended the police initiative yesterday, saying the
\nscheme would be \"for the good of the (vehicles') owners\".<\/p>\n
\"It is to avoid falsification of serial numbers on engines and
\nchassis, especially where there has been a change of ownership,\"
\nHutagalung said, as quoted by the Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
\"Without regular inspections, it is difficult for the police
\nto monitor the identity of a vehicle. So (vehicle inspections)
\nare a precautionary measure taken for the vehicle owners' good,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The new policy is contained in a decree issued by the National
\nPolice chief.<\/p>\n
The plan came under fire in the House of Representatives last
\nweek during a hearing between legislators and Minister of
\nTransportation Haryanto Dhanutirto.<\/p>\n
Under the existing procedures, vehicle owners who want to
\nrenew their vehicles' registration are required to produce only
\nthe current documents and identity cards.<\/p>\n
People are required to bring along their vehicles for physical
\ncheck only if they intend to transfer ownership in the vehicle or
\nif they are reporting the loss of their registration documents.<\/p>\n
Legislators said that the police chief's decree was in
\nviolation of a 1992 traffic law and a 1993 lower government
\nregulation on traffic.<\/p>\n
They expressed concern that the new procedure would meet with
\nopposition from the public because it would lengthen bureaucratic
\nprocedures, which are already notoriously arduous.<\/p>\n
Separately, Director for Traffic Brig. Gen. Sumarsono
\nconcurred with Hutagalung that the new policy was aimed at
\nminimizing forgery of vehicle registration documents.<\/p>\n
He said that, without physical checks, there were numerous
\nopportunities for people to replace the engines and chassis of
\ntheir vehicles with other and better models, thereby evading
\nhigher taxes to which they would otherwise be liable.<\/p>\n
\"It is possible that dishonest people re-register their
\nvehicles every year but that they have, in fact, illegally
\nreplaced the vital components,\" he said. \"If that happens, who
\nshould be blamed?\"<\/p>\n
The police, who manage payment of vehicle taxes along with the
\nlocal administration, have been ducking for cover as legislators
\nand the public alike attack them for failing to simplify the
\nprocedures involved in vehicle registration.<\/p>\n
For example, the police have insisted on retaining their
\npolicy of requiring vehicles to be re-registered every year,
\nwhereas the House of Representatives has repeatedly called for
\nre-registration to be carried out once every five years. (pan)<\/p>",
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